Milk-can.



Fg. E I I I I I '/I II Patented Apr. 1,1919

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yF. cHALFAN. MILK CAN.

' APPLICATION FILED AU G18 i916.

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' usually secured to the sloping top.

l UNITED ASTATES Aiafiriaiiv'r OFFICE.

`FRANK CHALFANT, OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known' that I, FRANK CHALFANT, a. citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Wayne, in the county of Allen and Statey of Indiana', have invented new and useful Improvements in Milk-Cans, of which the 'following is a specification.

The invention relates to milk cans, and

particularly to cans in which milk is shipped 'with a contracted top terminating in a neck into which the cover fits and the handles are The cover is usually provided with a handle on its upper surface. It is a very difficult matter to thoroughly clean this type of can because of the constricted top and neck. The

sun cannotY reach all parts ofthe interior of the open can and in the absence of an apliance for the purpose the can is cleaned by liandv with great difficulty. It is also impossibler or unsafe to stack the cans one upon another since the top is smaller than the bottom.

The objects 0f my invention are to provide a milk can which may be easilyv and thoroughly cleaned, and is therefore sanitary, and which may be safely placed upon another in shipping so as to require less room in a car. for a given number of cans than heretofore. Another object is to provide a can in which the tendency to burst open by l illustrated one manner in which the invention may be carried' out in practice, in which Figure 1 is an elevational view, partly in section, of the can constructed according to my invention.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the same taken at right angles to the view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the can, the cover being removed.

Fig. 4 is an elevational view, partly in section, of the latch and handle supporting device.

, Fig. 5 is an elevational view of the latch lever. A

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the cover.

Specification of Letters Patent.

MILK-CAN. y

Patented Apr. 1, 1919.

Fig. 7 an elevational view of the cover. In the illustration of the invention' shown in the drawings, 10 is the can body, the inangular portions between it and the wall of the can body. A depending flange 12 is, if desirable, secured to the wall of the can, which serves to support the can in upright position and also protects the bottom from injury. The rim of the can body is turned over upon itself to -form a seat 13 for the cover 14, or the seat may be provided by securing a band of metal about the rim of the can.

The cover 14 is flat at its top and is provided with a shoulder 15 and depending flange 16, the flange being adapted to be inserted in the mouth of the can with shoulder 15 engaged on seat 13. If desirable a' suitable gasket 16a may be used betweenthe shoulder vand seat to render the joint fluid tight. Two apertured members or rings 17 project laterally from opposite sides of the cover and are adapted to be engaged by the locking latches 18.

Latches 18 are of any suit-able form. Each latch is adapted, at one end 19, to engage member 17 and at its other end it is pivoted to a shaft 21 fixed within the bifurcated end 22 of lever A suitable portion'20 of the latch is coiled or otherwise fornied to produce a suitable spring which will be useful in assembling the cover and which will permit the cover toy rise off' vits seat in case the 'milk in the can should ferment and gas accumulate in the can, it being a well known fact that many cans are bursted open by the nfas given off by milk which'has turned. Iy the use of my spring latches the cover will unseatv under the pressure produced by the accumulated gas and permit the gas to escape and thereby prevent injury to the can.

lLever 23 is pivoted to ring 24 by pins 25- lwhich are driven through apertures 26 provided in the ring, the ring being cut out at 27 to accommodate the bifurcated end of the lever. The ring. may be integral with or vattached to the can body.v Shaft 21 is situated below the pivotal point of the lever and the lever is cut out in its central portion to provide a recess or opening 28 in which the latch will hang when not in use.

ios

At suitable points in the ring yare two cut out portions 29 each having anl overhanging sheltBO, each end wall adjacent the l shelf having a recess adapted to receive the leasing the Vhandles they fall down into normal position.

Levers-23 normally 4lie against or cloise to` i the wall of the can body. lVhen the latches are to be connected to the cover the levers `are elevated on their pivots, the latches are engaged in members 17 and the 'levers are then forced downwardly against the can body. Since the pivotal point of the lever is above and forwardrdof the pivotal point of the latch', the latchy is securely fixed to the cover when the lever is drawn down to its lowermost position. At the same time the cover is drawn down v4tightly upon its seat, yet it is seated yresiliently by the latches;

Any suitable bearings on the can body ywill suffice for supporting the levers and handles.y

. It is apparent that the wide mouth and straight inside walls of the can body afford thorough cleansing of the can, andthe fiat cover permits ofthe ready placing thereon of another can.

-It isalso apparent that' the can may be used for the transportation of many liquids,

henceI contemplate adapting lit for all uses 'to which itis applicable. v

For the purpose of sealing the cover tothe can body Ik provide two lugs 32, which are apertured, on opposite sides of the can body and adjacent levers 23, to each set of which the ordinary seal may be attached, the seal passing over' the top of the lever in its normal `olependingi position. i The lseal must, thereore, 'be broken before the cover can be Whatl claiinis:v y 1 1. The combination yof a canbody having a seat at its mouth, a cover for the body having a4 fiat top and adaptedv to engage the seat` an apertured member projectinglaterally from the side of the cover, a'lever pivotally mounted on the can body,'and having an opening therein extending from its pivotal point toward its opposite: end and alatch pivotally-connectedto the. lever 'forwardly of the pivotal point ofthe lever and adapted tobemengaged in the .apertured member when the leverv is moved upwardly and'to be drawn"downwardlyvby the lever whenxthe. latter is moved-*downwardly for seating kthe cover,` ythe nlatch being also adapted tobe moved downwardlyinto .the opening inthe leverl when disengaged from the apertured member. ,f i

2. The combination of y.a can body having a seat at its mouth, acovenfor the body adaptedto be engagedon the seat, an apertured member projecting laterally from the side ofthe' cover, a ringvseoured-tov the exterior of the can body andbelow't-he said seat, aflever, having one end bifurcated and pivotally` connected to the ring andy a latch `-pivotally connectedto the lever forwardly of thexpivotal point ofthe lever and adapted to be engaged in the apertured meniberwhen the lever is moved upwalidlyay and to bedrawn downwardly by the downward movement of the lever forv tightening the cover on the f seat., the latch being-alsoladapted to be `moved within the bifurcated end ofthe lever :when disengaged. from theapertured memberz and" means to seal the leveriny yactive pos1t1on.l f

In wltness `whereof I'havey hereunto atfixed my nameithis y176th day of August, .1916;

FRANK oHALFANr. 

